


Hold My Hand

by ThatOneScaredyBat



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Casually making respawns a thing for the sake of the story, Daddy Kink, F/F, F/M, M/M, Other, Pet Names, Rape/Non-con Elements, Reason why I'm writing this honestly, Slow Build, Smut in the future, Sort of a sequel to everything, Voyeurism, We need more Zer0/Jack tho, lots of kinks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-08-08 10:23:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7753978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatOneScaredyBat/pseuds/ThatOneScaredyBat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of helping Rhys save the world, Zer0 had stayed for a small time back in Sanctuary. Short enough to plan their next destination, long enough to hear the Guardian mentioning a war while Athena was present. This war, Zer0 didn't want to be a part of. But it seems like they may have no choice but to participate, and to risk their life. As time progresses, Zer0 and the others realize that the tables may have turned around and around in a loop, and that they're once again, racing for riches. Friends to enemies, enemies to friends, friends to lovers, lovers to enemies, can they really trust one another again?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Good Morning, Pandora

The blistering sun through the window shined its light onto the assassin sitting upright. Zer0 stared forward at the wall, chest barely moving with each breath they took, if they did breathe. The mattress, normally squeaking and groaning under any weight shifting, lay silent under the Vault Hunter. Fingers twitched at the thought of being called a Vault Hunter. Did the label stay? Zer0 wasn't sure, pondering. The paint on the wall was thinning. Peeling, sticking oddly, even some wet splotches were visible, attempting to hide holes in the wall. The assassin's sensitive hearing could detect sounds from all around; the room behind the wall which they were staring through, behind them, outside, above, below. A set of bright red dots formed in front of Zer0's helmet, showing that they were indeed thinking. The dots had vanished while the bed creaked, Zer0 now moving from their position on the bed and onto the dusty wooden floor. Having never stripped out of their suit--they've never felt safe enough to do so, not even in Sanctuary--the silent one strode to the door leading to the hallway of the building that provided housing for other fugitives, other bandits as a fallen king once had called them, others who had lost their families. Zer0 had passed a small archway leading into a tiny kitchenette, the once line green paint turning into a sour color matching corrosive acid, peeling and falling. The counters were of a white stone, cracked and allowing small insects to crawl around. The fridge was empty, as Zer0 didn't intend to stay too long, and would only eat food from Moxxi's and bring back to eat in peace. While the assassin showed signs of being neat, they did not even _attempt_ to clean the small shelter offered, besides making the bed whenever they rose from their sleep.

The doorknob creaked, door calmly swaying open while Zer0 stepped out from their safe zone. The door closed behind them, they didn't bother to lock it. They were planning on leaving when the fiery sun had gone down and Pandora was swept over by the cold breeze lit by the moons and stars. Now out in the hallway, the sounds that Zer0 had heard from within their room were louder, vibrating through the air with more power. Not muffled anymore. Talking, shouting, screaming about who had eaten the last roasted Varkid and who had trashed the steamed Rakk. None of them interested the assassin while they made their way towards the stairs leading downwards, following the grimy and dirt ridden carpet lining the rotting wooden floor. The scents in the building were disgusting, but it was home to some. It surely was. They had passed by a mother and her young child, who stared in both awe and in fear while the masked Vault Hunter passed them by, whispering quiet questions to his mother. There was that label again. Vault Hunter. Vault Hunter. _Vault Hunter._ Zer0 wasn't even sure if they were still such a thing, they had hunted for the Vault, but it was obviously cracked open by the King of Hyperion. The fierce Warrior had awaited them, mouth agape with roars of fire spitting at their entrance. The four of them, Axton, Maya, Salvador, and Zer0, had slayed the 'dragon' by luck and had beheaded the King controlling it. No beast as magnificent, as dangerous as the Warrior should be controlled. But not everybody believed it.

Outside, the sun was of course hot. Citizens of Sanctuary were already up and awake, chatting blissfully unaware of this War that was whispered about, shared between the original Vault Hunters, or what remained of them. Zer0 knew that their days of Vault Hunting were over. Whispering his name was almost a bad omen in this small city now, but with Roland gone, Lilith had to take over Sanctuary with Brick and Mordecai. The five, including Bloodwing, were family split apart by death because of a single man. While speaking about Roland around Lilith wasn't a good idea, it was even worse to even mutter the King's name under one's breath. Nobody dared to, in fear he would rise again, as they had heard of what occurred through their own contacts around Pandora. The story of Rhys and the King's ghost. None liked to talk about it, except for the fact that the King's domain had burned down and fell like a meteor, a fallen gift of freedom. No more Hyperion. No more Hyperion. No more Hyperion! Zer0 remembered the day that the planet of Pandora had cheered in glee, the fall of their mutual enemy.

..But was he even an enemy at all, or at first? Athena briefly flashed across Zer0's mind, causing them to pause and stare towards the tall building that was once Roland's safe area of planning. It was where Athena was held, on the ground floor, where the large cache of weapons once lay behind sealed bars. A small cage for a prisoner. A grain of curiosity melded into their mind, only to be swept away by the instinct to continue on their business. They turned their gaze, walking towards the fast travel station, however they had been stopped by a familiar and friendly voice.

"Zer0, where you headed?"

Zero had turned to witness a blond comrade striding over to greet the assassin, a warm grin on his face. The ex-soldier crossed his arms over his broad chest once he stood in front of them. "You can't be leaving already, you've only been here for what, two days? Come on, grab some drinks with us." Although Axton had no idea if Zer0 drank anything at all, as they'd never seen the assassin eat or drink, or even lift that helmet, he figured it would be nice to invite them. It only earned him a shrug of Zer0's shoulders, causing the blond to purse his lips. "Come on. We'll miss you, it's probably the last time we'll ever see you again. Or each other." The man's tone had lowered to a softer one, a hint of sadness plaguing his voice like an annoying cold in winter. Zer0 had paused for a short moment. They supposed it wouldn't hurt to watch the group sing drunken tunes and songs from their own planets, their own races and times. Zer0 could only hope that Salvador wouldn't cause any destruction to Moxxi's bar. If he did, they would all have to pay. She'd been sick and tired of her bars getting destroyed by Vault Hunters.

"As you wish. I have time to spare." Zer0 nodded their head slightly, seeing the light in Axton's eyes glistening. The assassin could see the face of a child in Axton's form, it would sometimes show when the man was eager, happy, and excited. Maya had, several times, mentioned that it was adorable. This only caused Axton to grow flustered and attempt to flirt with the Siren, but he was always turned on and acted casual, as if it had never happened. And as if he was never threatened.

"Great, let's go. Moxxi's Happy Hour is starting in a couple of minutes, they're waiting on us." While Axton walked towards the bar, Zer0 followed. A twitch and a glitch formed in the same holographic fashion as the emojis that they would make, and they wondered if they had knocked their head onto something. Maybe it had gotten rained on, and it had messed with the wires. Zer0 wasn't sure, and at the moment, they figured they could fix it later. It was nothing but a glitch, and it was nothing harmful, at the moment at least. As long as it would not create something embarrassing.

Music blared from the working radio--Somebody had fixed it one night, nobody was sure who. Zer0 had their assumptions, but never said anything. The bright neon lights flickered in and out while the two made their way inside. Zer0 looked around, easily spotting Salvador and Maya at the slot machines. It was a way to waste money, certainly. And for Moxxi, it was the best way for her to earn that money. Axton had jogged towards the two and spoke, Zer0 assumed that he was telling them that the assassin had decided to join. Salvador turned and waved his hand, giving a bright, toothy grin, before returning to his gambling. Maya had waved with a small smile and continued to watch Salvador spend his money on the machine. Axton wandered back to Zer0 and led them to the table that the group had chosen as their own, both sliding into the seats across from one another. Zer0's gaze flicked to a couple at another table, talking casually.

"Where will you go?"

The question almost took Zer0 by surprise, simply looking in front of them to be greeted by the worried expression Axton wore. Of course. Axton wanted to speak alone with his comrade, away from the other two. He wanted to speak of where Zer0 would go, what they would do, how they would get there, and such. Even Zer0 wasn't sure, but they would let fate decide where to go first, or the money at least.

"I do not know." The answer was short, simple. Something that caused Axton's lips to twitch downwards, showing the start of a frown. A sign escaped the blond, and he leaned back and lifted his gaze to the lights hanging above them. Zer0 did not move, keeping their gaze on Axton while they awaited his reaction. After breathing out a long sigh, their gazes had matched.

"What- What do you mean you don't know? You're going out there without a plan, Zer0? You're normally the one with the plan, alongside Maya." Axton's blue gaze shifted into worry. Zer0 rolled their shoulders with a shrug. Another sigh, Axton growing agitated and even more worried for his friend. "Zer0.. I'll never see you again--We'll never see you again. We've been through fucking Hell together, and now you're just.. leaving so soon. Why?" Zer0 didn't answer, as they knew that Axton would only continue in his hushed tone, now leaning on his elbows against the table, staring forward at the masked assassin. "Did you only gain money out of this adventure? Nothing- Nothing else, Zer0? I don't want to say good bye to a good friend. I already had to say that to a lovely wife before I started my new life, this life." There was a silence between the two, Zer0's gaze flickered to the wedding ring hanging along a chain, around the commando's neck. It gently bounced against his chest in the unsteady rhythm of the man's breathing. He was growing negative emotions, and the Vault Hunter--that label again--was unsure what those emotions were. Worry, fear, caution, regret. Zer0 knew very well that Axton would keep this memory locked tight in the cage of his mind; after he was divorced by his wife, he still holds her ring close to his heart and never lets it out of his sight. Zer0 breathed in.

"I do not know where / My journey is not written / The wind will guide me--" Axton breathed in sharply and shook his head, cutting Zer0 off. The assassin knew if they continued, it would only make him anxious.

"Don't- No haiku, please.. Just, just talk with me, Zer0. Please." His heart audibly shattered on his tongue, in the form of a cracking voice. Zer0 stared forward at the man who wished they would not part. The assassin wondered if he'd lost more than his wife in the past, but they would not ask. "Just.. Just say something to me, alright?" He had asked in a quiet tone, shaking visibly. Zer0 breathed in and spoke.

"I will stay in contact, Axton." Their words caused Axton to lift his head, fingers clenching slightly with confused eyes. His lips twitched upwards into a small smile. The blond slowly leaned back, letting his fingers relax, as well as his racing heart. Zer0 could hear that heart tick tick tocking away, slowing its pace to a normal one. Zer0 continued, sitting upright and shifting, before leaning their back against their seat. "Please refrain from Echoing me for a booty call, though." A laugh escaped Axton, and he gave a bright grin. He shook his head with a light chuckle, chest bouncing from the sound.

"No promises, Zer0. You know Maya scares me, and Salvador scares me more. And between you and me.." Axton leaned in slightly, a playful grin spreading across his lips. "Moxxi scares the shit out of me." With that, he leaned back with a small shrug, spreading his arms over the back of his side of the booth. The blond hummed, grin staying and making use of its home on his lips. "So, you'll probably get called every once in a while. Hope ya don't mind. You're the only one I can hold a decent conversation with." It was true. A sweet, red colored heart appeared in front of Zer0, holographic and glowing. It was mutual, Zer0 preferred Maya and Axton over Salvador, but Axton was their favorite comrade. Maya and Salvador got along in an odd connection that neither Zer0 or Axton knew, and Zer0 and Axton could talk about their adventures without a screaming midget. Axton had called Salvador that nickname, and lived only because the short man couldn't find where the itch came from, when somebody spoke of him.

Axton began to chat casually, Zer0 listening to him. The man was speaking of getting a dog, or maybe a cat, and living in a nice quiet place that hopefully won't attract too much attention. With Hyperion gone to Hell, they'd only have to worry about Bandits and bosses. Axton pictured a nice cottage by a non-radioactive stream leading to a large pond, also non-radioactive. Two dogs, or a dog and a cat. Somebody to hug on harsh cold winter nights, somebody to go kill Bandits sneaking to do horrible things to the dogs, somebody to run along the beach and smash Varkids with. It was amusing.

But while Zer0 listened, they found their mind going in and out of existence, their hearing pooling around them with their attention shrinking and growing rapidly. The lights flickered around them, pulsing slightly. Axton didn't seem to notice, not until a loud pop was heard from the other side of the bar. There was a shriek, and Zer0 was brought back into reality, however they were frozen. Their hands gripped tightly at the table, almost crunching the edge of it. Their body trembled. Their body was suddenly aching, screaming in their mind but they couldn't even imagine what it was saying. There was another pop, the speakers of the radio blew out and sparked. Then the lights in the same room, popping one by one light a train of electricity surged through them and overpowered the small bulbs. There were shrieks and gasps while the pulse rushed through the room, going in a specific direction along the wiring. As it grew closer, Zer0's head slightly lowered and their shoulders tensed, table cracking under their strength. The sound of Axton's voice was pushed away by the muffled sounds of the assassin's mind. Their chest trembled, as if having difficulty breathing. It was unheard of, as they had never even breathed out a simple breathless pant while running along Pandora. The popping bulbs of light sparked and pulsed their way straight along the hanging lights, rushing towards Zer0. There was a muffled shout--Axton, Salvador, Maya. Then there was an explosion in Zer0's mind, and body.

They could only see bright red numbers scrolling along their vision in front of a black background, a drumming in their chest like that of a running Skag. Their vision blurred and glitched rapidly, voices echoing and swaying. Zer0 felt numb, wondering what the fuck just happened? They weren't sure, nobody was, but they were lying on the ground unconscious. They felt hands on their body while they were lifted, then the breath of wind rushing against their suit. They were being carried out, the murmurs and worried whispers going distant. Feet against dirt, the crunching of rocks under their carrier's weight. The voices were muffled, but Zer0 could tell where they were just by the person talking. Zed's clinic. This would be painful if they didn't--

_"Wake up."_

There was a flicker from the mask hiding Zer0's face, the clinic had gone silent. They sat upright swiftly, chest heaving. Axton stood by their side, accompanied by Maya and Salvador, all worried. Zer0 panted while three red dots slowly formed in front of them. "Give 'em some space to breathe!" The doc warned the others, Axton took a single step back while Maya and Salvador moved more. Zed had placed a hand on their shoulder, which caused them to flinch. "Easy there, kid. You can't just get up after an episode like that!" Zer0 didn't reply, their chest heaving while the dots stayed. Maybe they were dazed? What the Hell happened? Axton seemed shocked, he lifted his gaze to Zed. His confusion must have asked Zed a question that they were all wondering. "Son, all the lights in Sanctuary flickered. Hell! The damned engine keepin' us afloat almost gave out on us! It was like something swept by in the air. We would've fallen to our deaths just now. The only thing that didn't happen to all of us was the damned explosion in the bar! I can only guess it was your friend here."

Zer0 stayed put, chest still heaving and body still shaking from the sudden jolt of energy that they had experienced. With a simple question, they kept their gaze relatively low for a few moments, before letting it wander along all their faces. "What happened to me?"

Axton quickly answered, as he had seen it face to face. "The lights, it's like.. It's like they had rushed to you for some reason, but.. I don't know, too much energy built up I guess? Shit.. You just- You just phased out and nearly broke the damned table in the bar when you fucking.. sparked!" Zer0's gaze instinctively lowered to their chest, seeing no physical damage. But their head.. Their head ached, like it was too heavy for some reason. Axton continued. "Listen.. I know you were planning.. but you should rest up before.." The blond didn't want the others to find out Zer0's plans to leave just yet, but he would tell them soon enough, unless the assassin beats him to it by leaving abruptly. Axton heaved out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know what happened to you, but.. You look exhausted, Zer0. Please, go get some rest." Zer0 could only nod their head slowly in response. It was only a short moment before the assassin stood, leaning against the examination table for just a short moment. They breathed in and walked towards the exit, the commando attempting to follow. "Zer0, let me help you-" He called, however he had stopped in his tracks when they turned their head to look over to him, a large, red X forming. It faded away when they stumbled through the door, wanting to just rest.

Mind going crazy and frantic, Zer0 had finally tumbled into their reserved room, the door slamming shut behind them while they slumped back against it. Their chest had continued heaving because of the difficult challenge of making their way up the stairs, but they didn't give up while trying not to fall. The assassin swayed their way towards the bed, collapsing onto it with sluggish feet. They were unsure what was wrong with them. They felt exhausted, but overpowered. Their mind was blank, but full of screams. Their body ached, but felt relaxed. Zer0 felt.. drugged off of energy, off of power. They shifted to lie on their back, staring upwards at the ceiling. They were allowing their chest and heart to calm down, alone at last, but not where Zer0 thought they'd be. By now, they'd be on their way to another city, another town, maybe even another planet. But here was the assassin, still on Pandora, still in Sanctuary, still in their rented room. But.. they were alone.

_"God damn, what did the kid do? ..And just what are you?"_

Zer0 shot upright, body aching in a horrible fashion that made them want to just fall down and fucking break. Their head whipped around in search of the source of the voice. Why was it so familiar? Hands trembling with unease, they reached for their katana, but the voice spoke again.

_"You look just like a scared cat. You're only missing the standing fur, kitten! Kitten seems like a fitting name.. Don't you think, Zer0? I mean, that **is** your name, right? ___

That was when Zer0's heart froze, that was when their stomach dropped. That was when they felt like vomiting and tearing out their own mind. But they couldn't. They felt weak, they felt strong! They felt afraid, they felt invigorated! They didn't know what to feel, but dread was starting to conquer all of those conflicting emotions.

_"Good morning, Pandora! Your King is back!"_


	2. The King Follows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zer0 realises they need help, but the person they can reach for is unavailable. They have to learn to trust their comrade while they prepare for a brand new storm.

The assassin's first choice of person to request assistance was Rhys, but of course the ex-Hyperion janitor (he absolutely **hated** that title) had gone and disappeared. The only other person that may know what to do, that spoke with him face to face, would be..

“Athena.”

The dark haired woman's head lifted up at the sound of their masculine voice, staring up at the assassin who stood in front of her cage. She didn't know this assassin personally, she appeared to be confused at first. Her eyes had narrowed and she tilted her head up to acknowledge the other. Where were the others? Her eyes darted around, seeing nobody, hearing nothing. Perhaps they were alone, perhaps they had left to go on a mission or gone off to Moxxi's. With an inhale, she spoke.

“Do I know you?”

“No.”

“Should I know you?”

“..No.”

Athena scowled and tossed up her hands in a shrug, she was visibly agitated. Zer0 said nothing, they knew that she would speak, and they would let her. After all, they did need answers that she may provide. “Then what the Hell do you want? If you don't even know, then you're wasting both of our time.” She glared at the tall and slim figure in her vision, her lips twitching when Zer0 had replied.

“A small bug invades / I need answers for questions / Will you provide them?”

Athena had squinted at the assassin, breathing in and tilting her head up a bit. She made a small face, pursing her lips. She spoke, unsure as to what Zer0 had meant. “..What do you mean bug? And what kind of answers are you asking for?” There was a pause in the air. “And what's in it for me?” She continued. She needed to get out of there if she wanted to live—Lilith wouldn't like to let her walk out of Sanctuary unless it was walking the plank, also known as walking directly off the edge of the city. She knew this, the people of Sanctuary knew this, Zer0 knew this just by feeling the tension in the air left by Lilith. It was as if she had left flames licking at people's ankles while they walked into Roland's former office, they served as her eyes and glared hot daggers into their soul, but as long as she were here, they were directed right at Athena.

“You long to be free / Silent, as a fallen leaf / I will break your cage.” Zer0 stared at the woman, their form barely moving, not even to release a small breath. Something about it caused Athena to shudder, goosebumps rising on her skin accompanying her chills. Athena swallowed her nervousness, attempting to keep her cool, but she felt as though Zer0 could see right through her like a clear piece of ice melted with their blade of fire.

“What questions do you have, then?” She sat up, her back against the metal wall behind her. Zer0 tilted their head to the side by a mere inch, however they stood still. They spoke, their tone low and cautious, hiding the fact that they had fear beginning to stick and suck out all other emotions like a leech.

“I would go to Rhys for this, but he is.. missing in action. I know you have worked for Him in the past, and I must ask..” There was a pause, Zer0 had let their words sink in with anticipation rolling down Athena's forehead in the form of a bead of anxious sweat. “What do you know about Handsome Jack?”

The air around them had replaced Lilith's tense residue. Instead of heat waiting to burn from the inside out, a cold sensation took over the room accompanied by the uneasy silence. Athena wanted to ask why they wanted to know, but she knew very well from what she had seen glimpses of, small whispers she had heard. The wanted posters. Political assassination, it meant this being was serious about their job, and their questions. While the silence lingered, Athena knew it was her turn to speak, and she dreaded the feeling. Her body tensed and she tried to word her next phrase carefully in her head. She couldn't just rush in and risk pissing this guy off. She breathed in and finally answered, but with another question. “I learned a few things about him when I worked for him. What do you want to know?”

_“Athena, Athena. One of the pretty little faces that didn't try to fucking kill me right away. How's it going, princess!?”_

Zer0 visibly cringed at the excited tone of Jack's voice, breathing in sharply and standing up straighter. A red exclamation point had flashed in front of them, but it vanished as soon as it had appeared. Their head throbbed at just the sound of his voice, and it annoyed them horribly. Despicable. Distasteful. Discouraging. Their left hand clenched and they quickly replied, ignoring Jack. They needed answers, and they needed them immediately. “When you were with Rhys.” They urged, huffing for a split second. “I'm sure he mentioned Jack?” Suspicion sparked in her eyes, causing them to narrow.

“No.. Not that I remember, nothing important. Why are you so curious about him?”

_“Yes, just why are you so curious about me, kitten? Did you miss me? I bet you did!”_

Zer0 almost snarled, quickly growing defensive in both response to Athena, and Jack. They were in no way curious about him in that way! They simply wanted him gone and out of their head. Or were they only hallucinating? Was it something they had eaten? Maybe somebody had drugged them, but a simple, lousy needle wouldn't easily slip through the strong fabric of their suit. Growing frustrated, Zer0 was unsure what to say. They wanted to say something, but didn't know what. Athena chimed in, a cautious tone ringing.

“You act like him.”

Zer0 had returned their flickering gaze to her. A question mark shined in front of them, showing they were obviously confused. So she continued, leaning her head back against the wall behind her. “Rhys was acting strange sometimes. Sometimes talking to himself. I just figured that Pandora had gotten to his pretty little Hyperion head.” A roll of her shoulders in a shrug, and she looked to the side for a moment. She swallowed, her hand tightening into a fist and then relaxing. “I don't know. I never knew Rhys personally. I only know he's just a kid from Hyperion. Or he was, people say he and his second girlfriend disappeared?”

Yes, they'd seen the truth about the Vaults and they were lost with that knowledge, walking into one and never returning. Zer0 was disappointed at the thought; Rhys had truly liked them, grown attached even. Zer0 enjoyed spending their short amount of time with him. Meeting him, saving the world. He looked up to them, and they enjoyed that but at the same time did not want Rhys to go down the same path. While Zer0 stood still in thought, Athena hesitated before she had decided to say what it was she was holding back.

“I heard Rhys talking. Something about getting Jack out. I didn't think much about it, thinking he had gone Psycho like the bandits.” This caught the assassin's attention, who stared through the bars. Getting Jack out. Did Rhys mean out of a prison? The electronic prison? ..Like their own issue? A four fingered hand traveled to their sheath, fingers brushing against the handle of their katana. Athena had visibly tensed, but she did not say anything in means to defend herself. The blade shined and glimmered an Earthly sky blue, and Zer0 aimed the blade at her cage. The tension in the air was ice cold, even Athena's breath was rather chilling. Zer0 had said nothing while they held their katana in place, in an offensive stance with their grip relaxed yet firm enough the blade would not fall from their fingers when swung. The blade pointed directly at Athena, the assassin moved their wrists while they sliced through the air at a horizontal angle, twice in a quick row.

The steel of the bars had collapsed, leaving a gaping entrance in the small prison. The metal bars melted, falling to the ground with clatters. Athena's heart nearly stopped while she stared forward, watching Zer0 hide their katana once more, turning on their heel. Sensing the questions in her mind, and hearing her stand by the shuffling of clothes, Zer0 spoke calmly while they sheathed the blade. “You do not have the answers I desire. But you were still useful. I must ask. Do you know anybody connected to Rhys or Fiona?” They tilted their head a bit to look over their shoulder, at Athena who appeared tense, cautious. She pursed her lips while she watched them wander to the table of junk, on top of it was her trusty shield. She despised the fact that Zer0's fingers ran along its surface, and they picked it up.

“..Sasha, Fiona's sister. She and Rhys, I think they were a thing.” With that answer, Zer0 had thrown her shield towards her. It soared the short distance between the two, and had attached itself to Athena's arm almost magnetically. Athena had barely made a grunt from surprise, staring towards Zer0 then looking to the shield on her arm that had returned to its master. “Thanks.” When she looked up, she realized the assassin was nowhere to be seen. They had disappeared, and she frowned. Now she had to find the fast travel station and find her way back to her normal life. Hopefully, they knew nothing about it, and about Janey.

_“So, pumpkin. Where ya headed?”_

Jack's voice was still as annoying as ever, and Zer0 truly hated it. He sounded exactly like the type of man to suck his own—Zer0 stopped there and shook the thought away, they did not want to go there. The wind blew by them while they walked along the stable metal roofs owned by Sanctuary. Zer0 said nothing, they did not want to participate in a conversation with the ghost of Handsome Jack. But it was too late, and Jack spoke again in a mocking tone.

_“So this is Sanctuary? It looks like total shit. I did an amazing job if I do say so myself, and I did.”_

Zer0 could practically hear the sick bastard's smile, and it caused them to scowl. Jack only continued teasing.

_“Oh, come on, kitten! Don't be so quiet. You know you already freaked me out when I first heard about you.”_

They took in a breath, but they said nothing. If they were found on the rooftops, speaking to an 'imaginary Handsome Jack,' who knows what the others would do. A sigh escaped the assassin while they climbed to the highest building in the city, jumping along the rooftops like a ninja from an old movie. Once they reached it, that is when they spoke. “You disgusting worm of a virus. How are you in my head?” And how would they get Jack out?

_“I don't know. I don't care. I'm just happy to be fuckin' alive! Well, sort of. Why didn't you ask earlier? You went straight to Athena.”_

“Because I thought she would have the answers to my questions.”

_“Well, did she?”_

“..No. She only raised more questions.”

_“Then you're completely helpless, that's funny! Too bad I can't watch you from the station. I always wanted to see you squirm and panic under me when you're lost.”_

Zer0 grunted and looked around, seeing nobody. Good. They crossed their arms and leaned against the giant metal pole, looking through the mountains of clouds. Pandora lay right beneath them. Zer0 had created an angry face on their helmet—earning a laugh from Jack.

_“Oh, that's just cute. Are you grumpy?”_

“Silence! I will end you!” Zer0 snapped, the emoji had swiftly disappeared.

_“Oh? And how will you do that? Last time I checked, Rhys had to get rid of his EchoEye to get rid of me. You don't got that.”_

EchoEye. Of course. The answer was so simple, it was so easy! But why was Zer0 the one to carry the virus? They paced, back and forth while their crossed their arms over their slim chest. Jack hummed in thought, but the assassin said nothing. A deep, burning, seething hatred was bubbling in what would be their blood, if they had blood. There was a low growl, what were they going to do now? With the damned King of Hyperion in their head, they were not alone and could not simply go about their business. They needed to get rid of Jack, once and for all. May this planet's waters never be tainted with his very existence.

_“Are you plotting my death?”_

“Yes.”

_“Do you have a plan yet?”_

Zer0 didn't answer Jack. They could just feel his God forsaken smile on his stupid face—on their face. It made their skin crawl and itch, and it caused them to tense.

_“If not, then I'll just be lounging in your head. It's comfy here. But don't think I'm going to stay here forever.”_

Oh, Zer0 wouldn't dream of it. Their hands clenched, imagining the ghost lounging on a fucking thrown in the dark. Glowing, hands behind his head, legs crossed up on an invisible footrest or desk. It irritated them. They needed to get out of Sanctuary, they needed answers, they—

“Zer0!”

The assassin's head twitched downwards to see Axton, squinting up at his comrade. Possibly surprised how the hell they had gotten up there in the first place, but Zer0 was a mysterious once. Sensing the blond summoning them by his body language and tone of voice, the former Vault Hunter easily made their way down with two simple leaps. It didn't take long for Zer0 to reach the ground, having jumped from a three story building last. They ignored the distant _“Holy shit.”_ in their head and acknowledged Axton with a tilt of the head. The blond swallowed and spoke, seeming worried. “Why on Earth are you up? I thought we told you to go get some rest.” He crossed his arms over his chest, pursing his lips. Before Zer0 could reply, Axton's attention was snagged by shouting from two Pandorans. They were fighting over who would buy Marcus' special of the day. Axton breathed in and looked back to his partner, speaking in a lower tone. “Can we speak somewhere private? Lilith has eyes and ears everywhere out here.” Zer0 only gave the soldier a nod.

As soon as the door to Zer0's room had closed, Axton turned on his heel in front of them. Since they were planning to leave very soon, this glitch had quickened the pace, they had no issue of showing Axton to their room. Although it wasn't as neat as they'd like it to be.

_“Right. Sometimes I almost forget you fucktards are bandits. Look at this place, it's a disaster! You guys better kill yourselves before the fucking **diseases** in this place do.”_ The distinct sound of disgust rang in Jack's phasing voice, and Zer0 could almost find it amusing. They had no time for laughing or smiling when Axton spoke, standing in the middle of the small, not-so-cozy living room, a few feet in front of Zer0. 

“Tell me. What are you planning? Are you—Are you leaving now? So soon, because of your.. glitch?” Worry dripped off of the man's tongue like late night rain off of a sharp blade of grass. The commando took the silence as a sign to continue, motioning his hand. It must be a soldier thing. “Are you hiding something? Are you hiding from someone?”

_“What are you gonna tell him, princess? That you've got Daddy on your mind?”_

Despite the fact that Axton had saved their life numerous times, countless times on their adventures on this God forsaken planet, Zer0 was unsure if they could trust him enough to tell. They simply tilted their head downwards a bit, a sign of hesitance. While the assassin had learned of their teammates' body language, the others had learned of Zer0's. Axton could see that Zer0 was stressed, an incredibly rare thing. He had only seen Zer0 stressed once, and that was when they had nearly died in the unforgettable battle against the Warrior. Their flesh was close to burning off because of the damned thing spitting out fire. It was Axton's turrets that had saved Zer0's life, providing a shield and a circle of healing for them both, while Maya and Salvador had worked hard to wound the beast. Zer0’s helmet cracked, the red symbols glitching and phasing in and out. Axton was truly scared for them. And he swore they were scared too. And they were.

“You don't have to tell me all of it, Zer0.” Axton’s voice attracted their attention. His sweet green colored eyes stared at the assassin, who was confused. He continued, taking a step closer. “Don't tell me everything if you don't want to, Zer0. Just.. Tell me what I can do to help you. I know you, Zer0. Something isn't right.”

Axton did know them.

Zer0 almost completely relaxed with the words, “I know you.” Their four fingers flexed before the assassin spoke, voice low. Calm, much more than what they were minutes ago, panicking on the inside. “I need help.” There was a pause to let those words sink into Axton’s comprehension. It wasn't very often that Zer0 would request assistance. The Warrior was one reason why they did. “I need help, I need to leave. Unseen, preferably.” Axton gave a slow nod of understanding, he gave the expression that told Zer0 the commando expected to be a small part of this. “You have good navigation skills, yes?”

Axton’s eyes visibly lightened up, and he nodded his head. He had easily maneuvered through rough terrain as both a Dahl soldier and as a Vault Hunter. “Yeah—Yeah. Where will you go? We?” He wanted confirmation. They were traveling together, right? Zer0 breathed in while they wandered towards the barred, cracked window that peered out to the town square, staring towards the bounty board and the stall where the noisy man would sell wanted posters. Axton stood by them, peeking in the same direction.

“Fiona is a wanted woman, Rhys is an accomplice. Surely her sister is one too..” Zer0 trailed off, as if squinting their eyes at the bounty board. They tilted their head a bit while Axton nodded.

“Good—No, not good, of course not. But it's a lead. Their faces should be on the wall. I remember some new additions to it.” Axton froze when he had realized Zer0 had walked into view, walking towards the board. “Hey—!” A quick look to the side confirmed his suspicion, his comrade was not there. He dashed towards the door to meet with them by the notice board.

Zer0 scanned the wall of wanted posters, searching for anything relevant. Their eyes found no sign of any Sasha, any Fiona. However, they spotted two bold letters, a poster hiding a face and another hiding the words. With two swift plucks, the poster was revealed. Footsteps arrived at his side, a heaving voice panting. “Rule one of traveling with me.. Don't just leave me like that..” A tad out of breath, Axton regained his composure and looked at the poster that caught the assassin's attention. “Did you find something?”

“No. It seems somebody else is searching for the same thing.” Zer0 answered, taking the poster from the board. On it, was the photo of a chestnut brown haired man with two different colored eyes, evidence of Hyperion tech on the side of his head, and in his lighter colored eye. He held a goofy smile on his lips, above him were the words,

**Have you seen me?**

Below the photo,

**Rhys (I never learned his last name I'm an awful best friend)**

**Height: I dunno everybody is taller than me**

**Weight: He's skinny**

**Last seen: At the end of the world**

**Please contact Vaughn in Heartstone**

“Heartstone? That's pretty far..” Axton murmured, narrowing his eyes. “I know where it is, though.” He looked to Zer0, who returned the gaze. With a small nod of remembrance, the blond nodded his head and he stood up straight. “I know where it is. The Dust is along the way, but it's still far. We should go before it gets too hot.”

_“Road trip!”_

With Lilith raging over the destroyed cell, it was rather easy for the two to make it to the fast travel station. Axton had gone first, traveling to the Dust. While Zer0 prepared, finding their destination in the lists, Jack spoke up, concern audible in his tone of voice.

_“This won't affect our little issue, will it?”_

Their issue, Jack in the assassin's head. Zer0 could only hope that it would, without killing themselves. They breathed in and tapped their destination, ignoring the shout that Jack had released. Inaudible once they made their way through the system, the screaming falling upon deaf ears, fading through the unsettling ride. They'd never get used to the feeling of their body falling to pieces and being reconstructed.

“Zer0! I got the car up and ready.”

When Zer0’s vision returned, they were greeted by brightness, then the sight of Axton in the car already, a sawblade bandit technical. Axton favored the sawblade, mentioning something about intimacy through the saw, instead of passion of explosives. The assassin showed a smile in the form of an emoji, climbing into the passenger seat. Axton beeped the horn at Ellie, the two waved their goodbyes while they sped out of her yard and onto the sandy road.

“So! I guess we're partners again?” Axton asked on the road, looking forward while the road was hidden by sand and giving him a rough time finding it again. Good navigation skills. Right. Zer0 almost chuckled at the thought, hearing Jack groan. Axton drove down a hill and sped up while Zer0 decided to reply to him, looking to the sandy blond.

“I thought it would be more accurate if we took this trip as friends.” A red heart formed, and Axton flashed them a smile.

_“Oh, **great**. I think I'm going to be sick. I hate friendship!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, sucky ending. I finished up at 2 AM. Hopefully the next chapter will be better! Thank you for the kudos!


	3. At Another King's Mercy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things don't go so well for the two comrades. Wounded and alone, they find a new obstacle and enemy.

Flames licked at the burning metal, the steel creaked and groaned while it shifted, it sank. A bubbling, rumbling sound was booming in the air while it was being swallowed by the sand around it, under it. Its tires pointing upwards, the vehicle was bent in an awkward position with half of its body melted away and scattered, the other half shrinking in on itself. The sun sneered down at the wreckage from above, desert rakks circling while shrieking with delight.

A groan rumbled, inaudible with the fire crackling. A somewhat sunburnt hand clawed at the sand, only further digging the grave building itself for them. The hand clenched and hit the sand in a fist, sending grains everywhere. The man lay in the front of the car, sand pouring in from where the windows would be on any other vehicle, the windshield cracking with each and every second that passed him by. His rough hands grasped at the metal bars that were above the door (now below), and the blond released a strangled groan while he pulled himself slowly from his side of the bandit technical. With the angle, his side was more buried in sand than his companion's. Axton had to pull his lower body out of the sand, and it was a difficult task, his body already screaming at him and his arms struggling to do so. He forced himself through the window and collapsed onto his back two feet from the sinking vehicle, coughing out the dust that had reached his throat and lungs. It was not the best idea to sit so close to a sinking technical, with how heavy it was, the sand around it would collapse any moment. Axton sat up, his chest heaving while he raised a hand to defend his eyes from the soot and embers flying from the burning half of the car. He was thankful that the engine was not blown, not yet at least. The rocket had graced the back of the technical, causing only the back to explode and catch fire. But they had lost control and flipped, left for dead. Sudden realization struck Axton's mind like a brick, and he scurried to his hands and knees while he moved closer, looking everywhere with his eyes wide with fear.

“Zer0!”

Zer0 was right beside him the entire time. Where were they? Where— The blond realized his side of the car was sinking faster, and he jumped to his feet to run around the flaming wreck. He slid to his knees once he had reached the passenger side, spotting the unconscious assassin hanging upside down. “Zer0!” He called again, about to reach for his friend. The commando scurried back when the car groaned, sinking several inches at once before continuing its slow descent. Sand was now pouring in through Zer0's side like a newly turned hourglass. Axton swallowed his cowardice and moved quickly, sliding onto his stomach with his arms at work trying to find what was causing them to hang. The seat belt. _Of course._ That meant the release was on the other side of them. Hoping his arm could reach that far, Axton shoved himself closer to the burning hot car, the metal already sizzling against the sand. He had to ignore it. His hand groped against the hanging assassin's chest, then their thigh. The commando breathed in sharply while his free hand clenched, the truck sinking deeper. “Come on, come on, _come on!_ ” He hurried out, his breath growing quick. Feeling the truck sinking lower, he shoved himself halfway under the window, using one arm to try to hold it up, and the other to reach with all his might. Tears stung at his eyes, combined with sand and annoyingly painful heat. The fire was so close, it was being swallowed by the sand now. The truck groaned and creaked, his fingers brushing against the seat belt buckle by Zer0's waist. Axton's cheeks puffed out, his arm struggling to keep the truck from sinking further. It was helping, it was moving slower, but he was sinking with it, and if it suddenly shifted again, it would push onto his upper stomach. If it shifted again, he'd drown in sand.

His fingers grazed frantically at the buckle's button, his face red with heat and frustration. The vehicle trembled above him, metal bending. The flames roared when Axton pressed his fingers against the button, and he abandoned the task. Axton squeezed out from under the descending vehicle, his hand burned red from struggling to keep the truck up. He had scrambled away from the sinking truck, leaving his friend behind while the sand shook under its weight. Several feet away, he sat on his rear, shocked. Sand stuck to his sweaty face, the commando quickly lifted a hand to run it through his hair, tears threatening to mix with the stress.

”Zer0!!”

Axton watched in despair while the sand swallowed the truck whole, the vehicle disappearing with his friend inside of it. The small hole left behind spat out some sand, then it settled. Zer0 was _gone._ Before Axton had a chance to mourn, the ground began to tremble. Sand was spat up from the hole—the area was sinking, ground cracking below. The commando forced himself to stand, but the sand was much too loose underneath him. The ground was rising and sinking, he struggled to climb. The sand shifted, the hole grew much larger. The sand became a slope under his feet, steep. While he clawed at the sand, his green eyes so full of fear, he shouted while he slid down towards the same hole that devoured his friend.

”Fuck—No!!”

Axton had no luck trying to climb, the sand slipping underneath him like water. He slid down with a scream, the ground's shaking growing louder and louder. His right foot tried to find ground, but it was hovering over the hole that would kill him. Sand trapped his ankle, grains caught under his nails from desperate digging. His legs were being swallowed, his torso came next. With an arm raised, Axton looked up to the sky with one last hopeless gaze, and he held his breath. His head was taken by the hot grains.

His hand was the last to be seen before he vanished, the only trace of their presence were the tire tracks. Maybe they would serve as a warning.

...

Sand stung his eyes, it found its way into his nose. The blond’s eyes sealed shut, he collapsed onto his knees while he coughed fiercely, from the invasion of oxygen and the feeling of sand sliding down his throat. A hand blindly reached out, touching at the burning metal while Axton tried to calm his breathing. His eyes desperately tried to open, blinking rapidly with sand bugging them. He wiped his hands swiftly and lifted them, rubbing his face free of the annoying minerals.

Axton caught sight of a dark pathway carved into a cave, the only source of light was from the small hole above, and odd stones carved and jutting out of the walls in odd angles, glowing like Eridium. Confused, he slumped his shoulders for a very short moment. “Zer0?” He quickly called, stumbling to his feet and turning around to meet a growing pile of sand, and the vehicle under it. Zer0 was still out cold, the truck had been flipped onto its two remaining tires in the front. Axton shuffled to the passenger side, and he used every ounce of strength he had to pull Zer0 out through the window, and out of the sand pooling past the assassin's waist.

”Z-Zer0?” Axton called, keeping them lifted with his hands resting securely under their arms. A small shake, and they did not wake. “Don't tell me—” The panicked man set the other onto the ground, against the cave's wall, and he rested his ear against their chest, his own heart racing with horrible, awful ideas. While he sat there, head against their chest, he listened and silenced his own breathing.

The blond could feel it. Zer0’s chest raised and lowered in the slightest, they still breathed. Axton sighed shakily and sat onto his knees for a few relieved moments. He had mouthed a “Thank you” to nobody in particular, and secured one hand against Zer0’s back, and the other under their knees. Once he was positive he could carry both of their weight combined, the commando stood and held the assassin, albeit heroically, in his arms. Taking a deep breath, Axton walked while the sand pile behind them only stopped at the very top, blocking out the sunlight. He could only follow the glowing stones of a blue hue.

The sound of liquid dripping and falling into a puddle echoed through the caves, though Axton couldn't see the source. He swallowed at the thought of fresh water to drink. After the crash, he didn't want to bury himself in search of the water canteen lost in the wreck of the car and steaming hot sand. For all they know, it could have been gone ever since the rocket exploded the back of the truck. With a sigh, the commando continued on forward, letting his mind wander. The silence was uncomfortable around them, but Axton did not want to talk to himself, Zer0 could wake at any moment and ask what he was talking about. Hell, Zer0 could even be awake now. But they wouldn't pull that stunt, right?

Axton slowed upon seeing an intersection, meeting three other networks. One ahead, one to the left, and the other to the right. Before he could make a decision as of which way to go, the ground rumbled in a sloppy rhythm, shaking with small clouds of dust falling from the walls. Sensing the movement coming from the left, he pressed his back against the same wall and held Zer0 close to himself, his heart racing while he trembled. His emerald green eyes watched while the culprits skittered by, his stomach almost dropping. Spiderants. He supposed they were better than Varkids. Preparing to defend Zer0, he watched the line of large creatures run down the cave to the right directly ahead of them. With the rumbling and thumping of their pointed feet, they couldn't hear Axton breathe, even if he was. Even with the thundering footsteps, the blond held his breath without realizing. As the last Spiderant crawled after its brothers and sisters, Axton finally sighed and breathed. He peeked around the wall just to make sure they were alone, and he decided that now was the best time to continue. He did not go the opposite way of the Spiderants, something told him they were searching for food to drag to their queen. Something also told him that the queen was in the direction which they came from. With that in mind, the blond adjusted Zer0 in his arms and continued forward.

A miracle shined down on them when Axton found an opening, too small for an adult mutated insect, after a long while of walking and dodging Spiderant paths. The entire cave system was like the design of a spider's web, causing them to have a few close encounters with marching Spiderants. The commando had to squeeze them both through the opening, finding a decent hideout until Zer0 would wake. It seemed the small chamber, only the size of a light runner, used to be a secret stash for Spiderlings, but it was abandoned. The smell of food remained, rotting, faint, but it seemed it had decayed and crumbled to dust in the sand. Axton had no doubt that the food they stored dried up in this area.

The blond made his way to a large stone, its surface moderately flat. It would be uncomfortable, but it was all Axton had to offer. He slowly sat down on the slab of rock, and laid Zer0 beside him. He lifted their head, resting it on his lap so they would use his thigh as a pillow. With his feet resting and his friend by his side, the man turned his attention to the wide crack he had squeezed through to get here. Watching out for any signs of life outside of their small safe haven, Axton made sure to be ready to run with Zer0 if a Spiderant saw them. He glanced to the exhausted assassin, his eyes sparking with a hint of emotion.

Please wake up.

...

”Axton.”

Deep blue eyes slowly peeked open, exhaustion holding the commando's eyelids heavily. Axton wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep, or for how long. As the blond sat up from his slouched position, he stretched and released a sound similar to a yawn. His back ached horribly, he wondered if he had slept on the floor.. Then he remembered his place.

”Axton.”

_”Wake up, princess.”_

Axton’s eyes snapped open, he looked around until he noticed Zer0 sitting up beside him. Oh, thank the Skag-Lord. Or whatever. The blond heaved out a sigh, he could hear Zer0 breathing shakily. Heavily. He pursed his lips and he mumbled. “How long have you been awake?” There was a small shake of the head, before Zer0 replied, their voice sounding tired despite trying not to show it. Their head throbbed.

”Not long. Where are we? I hear things.. In the walls.”

_”God, it smells like skag ass in here."_

That was worrisome, but Axton could not do anything about that. Everything was dead silent to him, but he said nothing about that. He only wanted to get them out of there, and to safety. Drawing in a breath, the commando spoke and answered. “I don’t know. We’re still in The Dust, just the uninhabited part? Bandits ambushed us, our vehicle exploded. We sank in the sand, and we’re here. In.. In some Spiderant kingdom.” Despite how emotionless Zer0 could be, Axton could feel their tension, their stress. With that, he continued. “We have to go. I rested, you rested.” He had received a subtle nod, and the blond stood. Zer0 followed, but the assassin stumbled and nearly fell. They would have if it weren’t for Axton standing directly beside them, he had caught them before they could even collapse. “Are you alright?” He asked, his blue eyes flickering like a bandit’s.

”My leg hurts.” It was a simple answer, Zer0 did not feel like talking much right now. Axton seemed to pause before he wrapped a sturdy and strong arm around their waist, holding them against his side. They followed his lead, one arm wrapping around his neck while they stood as best as they could, using the commando as support. “Thank you.”

”No problem.. Let's get out of here.” With that, the two squeezed their way out of their comfort zone, and out of the only safety they could find. Once they had squeezed through the crack and found their way in the hollow cave system, Axton spoke in a quiet tone. “Where to? There are crossroads everywhere.” Zer0 lifted their head, taking in their new surroundings. A simple nod to the right, and they went down the path on the right. Zer0’s breathing was uneven, Axton could hear it despite how hard they were trying to keep silent. The assassin spoke in a soft, careful tone. Perhaps tired.

”Does your Echo work?”

Axton, regrettably, hadn't tried to use his Echo device to get help. Maybe because he thought only bandits would come, maybe because he thought that Loaders would trace the call for help. Or maybe because he was too focused on making sure Zer0 was _safe and alive._ “I didn't get a chance to try.” It was sort of true, he'd been caught up in keeping Zer0 safe from Spiderants to even think about the Echo. There was a small length of silence between them, but Axton broke it. “Do you think anybody will hear it? Will it even work down here? It's uncharted territory.” There was a slight grunt from Zer0—not of pain, but more of an ‘I dunno.’ The blond sighed. “It's worth a shot.” He hoped it was.

Axton guided them both to a wall, where Zer0 allowed themselves to lean against, separating from the blond. Just for a while. They watched the soldier retrieve his echo device, it was fizzing. He had to shake sand off of it, from inside of it, before it buzzed to life. Then, the man spoke clearly into it in hopes of gaining attention. “If anybody is out there in the area who can hear us, we need help. We're trapped in a series of Spiderant tunnels, and we have no way of getting out. We—” Axton had silenced himself and raised his head, staring down the tunnel. The ground trembled, the sound of hurried stomping was hard to ignore. “Shit! We gotta go, Zer0.” He cursed, swiftly turning the Echo off. Zer0 pushed off of the wall, stumbling and limping until Axton came to their aid. They had to hurry, the thunder of feet and claws were drawing closer.

The assassin’s feet tried desperately to keep up with Axton’s, but their hurt leg was making it difficult to even stand. Their body screamed in pain, Zer0’s breathing was now heavy and their chest was burning. Axton’s grip around their waist was tight, unforgiving. The ground felt like the heartbeat of Pandora itself, racing while smelling their blood, the prey of the game. The walls were beginning to crack and crumble, Zer0 could see Spiderlings beginning to crawl from the thick cracks.

_”Hurry up! Run faster!”_

Zer0 had shouted in response, Jack’s voice annoying them, making their skin crawl. “I am!” They were stressed, freaking out, they couldn’t handle this situation, they couldn’t breathe. Their own feet tripped them, causing them to fall while Spiderant soldiers charged behind them, and Spiderlings sprouted from the crevices of the walls. Axton’s hand had slipped from their waist when they fell, the soldier had to stop several feet away and look back to witness Zer0 attempting to crawl on their knees, struggling to get up.

_”Get up, get up! Zer0, you sack of **skag shit**! Get up! **Please!”**_

Before Zer0 had the chance to reply, a strong hand wrapped around their own, and they found themselves dragged upwards and onto their feet, forced to run. No. They were forcing themselves to run. They didn't dare to look back, they could hear the thundering of marching soldiers rushing after them and the cracking of walls around them. Their leg felt like it was on fire, like thousands of hot needles were pricking at the bone. Zer0 hoped they would make it, they didn't want to slow Axton down. Axton _wouldn't_ slow down though. The man would just pick his comrade up and carry them all the way out if he had to. And he may have to.

While they raced with a heavy rumbling behind them, a large opening was seen through the faint blue glow of the gems. Axton dashed towards it, nearly dragging a half limping Zer0 behind him with wide eyes. Light glimmered from beyond the large opening. The commando's grip tightened around Zer0’s four fingered hand, and the blond shouted over the trampling of angry Spiderants.

”We're almost out!”

_”No we're not! Stop! Stop you idiots!!”_

They did not stop, Zer0 ignoring Jack's shouting. That is until they saw the source of the light, a vivid and bright blue. There was a tug against Axton’s hand, while they and Jack shouted. Their voices clashed violently, a static roaring through the air while they screamed.

_**”Stop!!”** _

Their voices joining together had caused Axton to stop, the commando heard _something_ behind Zer0’s voice. But he didn't look back. Shock had frozen him in his place while he stared forward. Zer0 nearly collapsed by him, forcing themselves to stand while they joined the blond's gaze, their chest heaving but their breath freezing and catching in their throat. Their four fingers twitched on both hands, Jack had gone silent. The rumbling behind them calmed, only because soldiers now blocked the entrance from which they came. Axton swallowed his terror as best as he could, a shaky hand lifting up to grasp his dog tags and his wedding ring. Holding them in his fist, he pressed his quivering lips to them with a kiss. He mumbled a breathless prayer. They would need it.

Towering in front of them, standing proud, was a Spiderant King, far bigger than what they both had seen on their adventures. Behind the King, was a larger Spiderant Queen, vulnerable in her place as she could not move. She was releasing a deep, heavy hiss in the air, standing guard over an enormous bundle of eggs. The King stood in front of her, staring right towards the two intruders. And around them, in the giant room, peeking from other passageways leading into the room, were soldiers, knights, Spiderlings, and unknown ranks of the Spiderant family. Zer0’s gaze flashed over them in a matter of seconds, their head barely tilting. Numbers added in their vision, gliding down at a fast rate while heat signatures were picked up rapidly. Hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions with how large this nesting ground is. Their body tenses when the King stands taller.

Axton takes Zer0’s hand in one of his own. His free hand holds the cold metal disk used for his Turret. With the sand, he hoped the disk had endured and survived.

The King howls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for taking so long. School was catching up to me.
> 
> I was debating on whether I should leave the chapter as it is, or add more.


	4. Glass Beaches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They made it out in one piece, but Zer0 wonders if it will be worth it. Axton is getting suspicious about his comrade, sensing the assassin's lies the more they come up with them.

“We will have to fight.” Zer0 felt their throat tighten with their words, swallowing their rising anxiety. Still, that anxiety threatened to bubble up and wrap its clawed hands around their throat. Axton said nothing. The assassin stood tall while they glanced to their comrade. Axton's blue eyes stared towards the furious King before them. Zer0 said nothing, their right hand pulling itself from Axton's gasp and reaching to their blade's hidden sheath strapped around their waist. Their fingers curled around the base of the handle, and with a high pitched song of metal, the blade was pulled free slowly. Holding the blade's handle, Zer0 could hear the Spiderants around them hiss. The sword in front of them, the assassin raised their free hand, pressing the edge of the blade against their forearm. Sparks flowed and shot out from the combination of Zer0's suit and the blade's edge, threatening to slice through the protective suit. With a quick slice, the blade shot to Zer0's side with electricity pulsing along it. Though no flesh was split, a dark blue liquid was visible from where the blade kissed their skin. Axton mumbled, tossing the disk to the rough sand in front of them. The disk glowed a blue, forming a cylinder that nearly exploded into its turret design, the weapon forming virtually until it stood right in front of its commando. Sand poured from its gun's nozzle, from its cracks and crevices of the turret's design. The turret stuttered, much to Axton's dismay. The blond looked to Zer0 with fear present in his ocean blue gaze.

 

“We can't handle them all. What do we do?”

 

Zer0 shifted their stance to one that was defensive, clutching the handle of their katana with their sharp gaze trained on the Spiderant King. They spoke in a tone of determination, hearing Jack curse in the back of their head. “We handle what we can.”

* * *

 

“Pull over! I gotta water the plants!!”

 

“Seriously? Why didn't you go when we were back at the camp!?”

 

“The Tooth Fairy told me not to!”

 

“Why am I always stuck with the Psychos? Fine! But don't take too long.”

 

The bandit technical screeched to a halt by a small bundle of tall, blooming cacti. A masked Bandit watched as a Psycho jumped out of the passenger seat and raced towards the cacti while holding his pants. The Psycho looked over his shoulder and tilted his head much like a Skag pup, and the Bandit made a disgusted sound. “Dude, no. I'm not going to watch you take a leak. Just—do your business and let's get out of here! It's getting late already. Fuckin' Spiderants everywhere..” The Bandit turned his back on his companion while the Psycho worked to get his zipper down without losing another finger. The Bandit ignored the sound of liquid hitting the sand and the Psycho's 'potty song' as best as he could, quietly mumbling to himself. The Bandit clicked on the bandit technical's radio on, finding static, static, Handsome Jack's Mourning Service, static, static, Moxxi's private channel. The Bandit's eyebrows furrowed through his mask staring at the radio, hearing moans and groans coming from the radio.

 

“I'm making a golden waterfall, ma!!” The Psycho shouted over his shoulder with pride. This caused the Bandit to groan and shout in response without looking over his own shoulder, not entirely wanting to sneak a peek.

 

“Don't talk to me while you're taking a piss! Psychos, I swear...” The Bandit clicked through the radio channels, deciding to ignore the panting and sweet sounds of pleasure coming from Moxxi and her victim's throats. Static, static. The sand in front of the Psycho began to quiver and slowly began to collapse. The Psycho tilted his head and peered over the growing hole, still continuing his business even though he was morbidly curious about the hole. The hole swallowed what he had to give, and he stood on his toes further while his partner found a less-staticy radio station. The Bandit scowled when he realized it was a documentary on the life cycle of a glowing rock, by Patricia Tannis. She stated that the rock tasted strangely like cotton candy but felt like rock candy. He switched the channel as soon as she explained she was going to attempt to devour the rock, not wanting to hear her screams. The sand bubbling in front of the Psycho exploded, sending the Psycho flying back a few feet on his back. The Psycho looked up to what had exited the sand pit, a giant shape blocking out the bright sun while it was shot upwards, seemingly defying gravity.

 

“Mommy?”

 

The object landed in front of the Psycho with a muffled thud, showing it was a larger than normal Spiderant King. The large black and blue creature hissed at the Psycho lying on his back. The Psycho found he didn't have to take a leak anymore. The Spiderant shrieked and bit at the Psycho's pant leg, lifting him up and shaking him much like a Skag with a Vault Hunter's severed arm. The Psycho was screaming, but his screams fell upon deaf Bandit ears. The Bandit was too busy switching through radio stations to find something worth while, cursing Scooter for adding a useless detail to his rides. Why add a radio when it can only get commercials, documentaries, sex scandals, and crying Jack noises, the Bandit asked himself. The murderer was now tapping his foot in an annoyed fashion, his partner being tossed around like a toy. The more sane of the two felt like hitting his head against the steering wheel, repeatedly, because of the radio. That was until he found a surprisingly clear radio station, playing actual music. The man's goggles lit up upon hearing the opening of the song, and he leaned back in the seat. “Damn, I love this song!” A small laugh escaped him, oblivious to the fact that his partner was doing his best to stab the Spiderant in the face with his tomahawks. The Psycho shouted out, not even noticing the two Vault Hunters struggling to hold onto the Spiderant's thrashing back. The slimmer of the two nudged the other, pointing to the bandit technical. They couldn't handle a Spiderant King, but they sure as hell could handle one lousy Bandit or two. However, the Psycho shrieked and called for help, as the Bandit was chilling and singing to his favorite song. The Bandit's head shot up, and he looked back to witness the scene unfolding. “Skagshit—What're you doing!?” With that shout, the Bandit jumped out, abandoning the car to aid his partner. The two Vault Hunters took it as a distraction and slid off of the Spiderant's body, dashing around the murderers' line of sight and towards the technical. Axton vaulted over the side of the large truck and quickly plopped into the driver's seat, Zer0 doing the same with much more grace. While the Bandit was shooting his Torgue Shotgun at the Spiderant, trying to get it to release his friend, Axton slammed on the gas and sped off. This gained the Bandit's attention, and he shouted after the two who stole their car. “Hey! What the fuck!?” The Bandit cringed when the Psycho was thrown onto the cacti, the song playing on the car becoming more and more distant.

 

” _..there ain't no rest for the wicked, till we close our eyes for good...”_

 

”You alright, Zer0?” Axton finally broke the silence between the two, his chest heaving. He and his friend were covered in dark blue slime, sticky blood that had emitted from the Spiderants. Each were different colors, but mixed it formed a dark mucky blue. Sand stuck to their clothes, accompanying that slime. Axton made a disgusted face, wiping some off of his cheek and flicking it out of the car and onto the sand, leaving it behind them. His blue eyes cast a glance towards Zer0, who looked exhausted. They had pushed themselves, they weren't ready for that fight. Their hand flexed into a fist then stretched their fingers, breath quivering. After a moment, Zer0 spoke while they leaned their head back.

 

”Can we sleep?”

 

That question was enough to make Axton's eyes soften. His pretty blue eyes flickered over to Zer0, who looked to be on the verge of passing out anyway. Although he himself was tired, he figured Zer0 was exhausted. The assassin had only woken up nearly two hours ago just to be forced to walk so they could try to find a way to leave. Then they were forced to fight countless Spiderants, a fight the two of them almost lost. The commando sighed and reached over, lowering the volume of the radio so it would not bother his assassin. As the sun began to set, Axton focused on the road, casting only a few glances to the other Vault Hunter. He figured he himself could drive the rest of the way to Heartstone. Heaving out a sigh, the blond nodded his head. "Yeah. Go ahead and sleep, Zer0. You need it." When he looked to Zer0, it appeared that the other Vault Hunter had already fallen asleep. A smile curled at Axton's lips, his gaze returning to the road while he drove. He hoped there would be no more disturbances for the night, the two wouldn't be able to handle it if something were to happen. Axton could only hope, and he held onto that hope.

 

Under the stars, the commando had a bit of time to himself. His fingers drummed along the steering wheel to the soft song that played from the radio. What would they do now? Where would they go after they find this Vaughn character? Would they be forced to part ways? Or more accurately, would Zer0 push him away to solve their problems alone? For the hours he drove, that thought taunted his mind like a nightmare ready to sprout. Truth be told, Axton didn't want to be left alone. The man felt a connection with Zer0, even if the assassin didn't see it just yet. It was similar to Axton's ex-wife. The thought of her left a bitter taste on his tongue, which he tried to swallow but it formed a lump in his throat. Here he was, trying to forget the woman who willingly sent his own men to kill him, but he couldn't help but to feel the similarities in the atmosphere. It was difficult to explain, really. Zer0 and Sarah had absolutely nothing in common, but Axton cared about Zer0 like he did her. His blue eyes flickered towards the sleeping assassin, who had curled up slightly. Three red 'Z's showed at one time, but they would slide on by like an advertisement that they were asleep. 'ZzZzZzZz.' The pattern continued, Axton noted. It was.. cute, for a killer assassin who could turn their back on him as soon as he touched their helmet. Not that he would, because he had seen what would happen to someone if they did. The man had to breathe through a tube for the rest of his miserable life, which was pretty short because he had been in Zed's care. Axton didn't enjoy re-imagining the scene with himself in place of the poor man. But no matter how deadly they were, the Vault Hunter cared about the other. They were both Vault Hunters, and they would both work together as partners. He just hoped Zer0 would see them that way.

 

A flicker of light ahead caught Axton's attention, causing him to squint and strain his eyes to see what it was. He realized it was a single light post outside of a large cave. Slowing the car, Axton looked around to realize that the Dust was actually surrounded by giant walls, like a literal Dust Bowl. And they were reaching the towering walls along the road, a natural rock formation. It reminded the man of a giant crater, but it was probably not the case, and he didn't really care. The commando drove up to the large cave, realizing it was a tunnel for cars. With the headlights showing the way, the bandit technical drove forward and into the dark tunnel. As they made their way into the tunnel, Axton noticed the radio was cutting in and out. Grunting, he turned the thing off and focused on the road. It felt as if it was twisting around, but really, it was only swerving here and there, left and right. With the tunnel acting like a snake and swallowing the couple whole, Axton found that he couldn't hear anything from the outside world. The only thing breaking the silence was the car itself, humming endlessly with an echo. With how far the echo bounced, the blond wondered just how long the tunnel was. It had already been two minutes. He sighed, and resisted the urge to press the car to go faster. If he did that, there could be a sudden turn and cost them their lives. ..And their money for being reconstructed. Just as Axton was going to complain, he saw that the tunnel was getting lighter. Taking a slow curve to the left, and he saw the end of the tunnel. Thanking the skaglord that there was actually an end to the tunnel, he sped up the car to exit. As soon as they were out, Axton was introduced to a new sight.

 

A beach hugged the right side of the road, looking out to the ocean. The sand seemed to glitter like it had stars in it. He could see the moon hovering over the sea, and for once, he felt as if Pandora was a normal planet. As he drove, the sand began to cover the road, but that was fine by him. Axton could see the outline, and he could see their destination ahead. A small city, the size of Sanctuary, stood in a hollow cave that looked over the beach. It had a small pier and some boats by the docks, rocked by the gentle waves of the beach. It looked peaceful, surprisingly. But knowing Pandora, there were probably a few crazies there. Looking over to Zer0, the man spoke. "Zer0. Hey, wake up." When the assassin didn't stir, Axton sighed. He reached a hand for them, but he hesitated. No, he wouldn't wake them. The assassin was exhausted. Returning his attention to the road, Axton figured he'd let them sleep.

 

It didn't take Axton long to finally arrive in the city, greeted by a large sign greeting him.

**Welcome to Heartstone!**

**Where our beach is covered in fucking glass.**

**Population: 51**

Axton found it both amusing, and concerning. The commando passed the sign and saw large letters in red reading out, 'HOTEL.' He drove up to it and parked the car in front of the three story building. It looked run down, but that was what made it Pandoran. Axton hopped out of the car and looked to the sleeping Zer0 in the passenger seat. His gaze softened, and he walked around to lift Zer0 into his arms. As soon as he picked them up, they stirred and made a quiet sound of protest. The commando spoke in a soft, soothing tone in hopes of calming his companion. "Shh, it's just me." If Zer0 had woken up then, they were falling back asleep now. Axton shifted Zer0 in his arms so they would be carried bridal style, and he stepped up onto the sidewalk and pushed the door of the hotel open. His blue eyes took in the sight as soon as they were in. He could smell toxic smoke, and he saw that the receptionist was smoking a cigarette. It looked like some of it was even made of ground up Eridium.. Gross. The woman was sitting at the desk, reading a book with the cigarette between two fingers of her free hand. Her hair was in a messy bun, dark bags were hanging below her eyes. Thin rimmed glasses were standing against her nose. She wore make up, like Moxxi, but it seemed to be too much for her face. Instead of hiding them, the make up only showed off the wrinkles forming on her face. Axton went against judging her for her looks and walked up to the desk. When she didn't look up, he cleared his throat. When her green eyes lifted, she narrowed them when he came into her view. She set her book down begrudgingly and sat up. "Room for two?" She asked in her rough voice, raising an eyebrow.

 

Axton nodded his head. "Uh, yeah. Two beds." The smoke was bugging him, felt like he was choking on it. He hoped that Eridium cigarettes would have no effect on them. He could remember the Ethereals he and the others fought.

 

"Don't y'all want a honeymoon suite?"

 

Axton showed a look of confusion, until she motioned a long nailed hand to Zer0 in his arms. The assassin was curled up slightly, leaning into Axton. Maybe for warmth, maybe for comfort, maybe because they were just tired and trying to sleep in their best position. The commando cleared his throat and he shook his head, a tad flustered. "Um, no. No honeymoon suite. Just two beds, thanks." The woman shrugged her shoulders and held out her hand.

 

"Five thousand."

 

Five thousand dollars for a simple room. Axton scowled, trying his best not to glare in her direction. "Five thousand? Don't you have anything cheaper?" He asked. She shook her head, and he groaned. He couldn't believe it. "Ah.. Fine." They would only be staying one night, hopefully. The two needed their sleep. Axton shifted Zer0 in his arms, able to hold the assassin up with one. Nobody could believe how light Zer0 was, especially with their height. Axton shoved a hand into his pocket and pulled out 5k. Somehow he had pulled out the perfect amount instead of having to actually search. He ignored it and handed the money to the greedy woman, and she showed a yellow toothed grin. She reached behind her and took a single key, tossing it to the two. It landed in Zer0's lap, but Axton figured that'd be fine for now. Written on the tag was 'B4.' He mumbled a thanks to her and headed upstairs.

 

It was easy to find their room, but it was hard to ignore the loud sounds coming from the other rooms. Shouting, laughing, babbling, snoring, sexually explicit sounds. It was a miracle that Zer0 still slept soundly with Axton standing in front of their door. He took the key with one arm holding Zer0, unlocking it after struggling for a moment. Once the door was open, Axton hurried inside with Zer0 in his arms and closed the door, locking it. In a place like this, they wouldn't feel too safe to leave the door unlocked. But even in Sanctuary, Zer0 locked their door. Seeing that there were two beds, the blond was pleased. He walked over to one and gently lowered Zer0 onto it. His eyes softened while he watched Zer0 sleep. They looked like they were at peace, for once. While on Pandora, it's hard to find a peaceful moment like this. Axton sighed and he looked to the window on the other wall. He walked over and peeked outside, seeing a few random people walking along the sidewalk and road outside. The small city looked nice at night, lit up with its lanterns hanging around from both the roofs and the cave ceiling above. It was even better with the nice view of the beach, reflecting that light to mimic stars. It could be enough to make people forget that half of this city was in half of a cave. The half of the cave was curved like a crescent moon, shaped around the city and possibly protecting it from storms. He moved from the window and noticed that there was, actually, a bathroom in this unnecessarily expensive hotel. He figured he would take a shower, hopefully not a bath, to get rid of today's sand and grime. He also hoped that Zer0 would not wake from their slumber. Casting a glance to Zer0 one last time, Axton made sure they were asleep before he walked into the bathroom. Axton made a mental note that maybe he should go clothe shopping in the morning.

 

As soon as the shower had turned on, Zer0 woke and found themselves alone in a room they did not recognize. But traces of sand on the floor told them that Axton was near, and the sound of the shower told them he was bathing. The assassin stood from the bed and found themselves dizzy from the sudden movement. When Axton finishes his shower, Zer0 would be next to take one. As much as they would hate it. It was Zer0's turn to wander to the window, peering out to get a look of their surroundings. It looked relatively nice compared to Sanctuary back home. Was Sanctuary even considered their home? It looked much different than the floating city. Here, there was actually a view. Here, it looked like it was actually somewhat peaceful. The assassin had nearly forgotten about their issue, until they heard a familiar, annoying, nagging voice in the back of their mind.

 

_"Where the Hell are we now? My head is killing me--Or more accurately, **your** head is killing me! What the Hell did you do? Headbutt the Spiderant!?"_

 

Feeling as if their own mother was in the back of their mind, Zer0 was growing anxious just by standing there. With Axton in the shower, they could freely scold Jack without him possibly hearing. When would they even be able to tell Axton that their mind was now home to their supposedly dead enemy? Zer0 walked back to their bed and sat down, unsheathing their blade. They could see some new cracks and scratches forming on the metal. They used their katana as a way to ignore Jack, and this made the King even more pissed off.

 

_"Oh, so now you're ignoring me? Do you think that, because you can pretend I'm not here, that I'll disappear? And all your fucking problems will be solved? That easily?"_

 

Zer0 continued to ignore Handsome Jack as much as they could. The less they had to reply to him, the more their sanity would survive.

 

_"You know, you Vault Hunters are all the same. Thinking you can just ignore the good guys so you can go and destroy what they built. You don't care what we think, as good guys. But you know what? The bad guy always loses. And I'll make sure that rule of the story doesn't ever change. I can, and I will, make you suffer, Zer0."_

 

Zer0 grunted and stood up, pacing back and forth like a caged Skag. Jack was becoming more and more annoying. Zer0 couldn't let him win, they absolutely wouldn't let that happen. Their hands clenched into fists then relaxed. They continued to ignore Jack, and listened to the sound of the shower. It reminded them of rain, something they have yet to see on Pandora. They had seen sandstorms, snow, lava falling from the sky, explosions, but not rain. Not just yet. Maybe they could find a rainy area. It would help them feel...human.

 

"Zer0?"

 

They lifted their gaze from the floor and saw Axton, dressed in his pants but with a black tank top over his torso. His hair was shining, a bit damp. Zer0 could see Axton's muscled arms quite well, and they noted that he had some tattoos on his upper arms. Zer0's head slowly tilted while they examined the swirling designs painted on Axton's skin, interested by them. They watched his muscles flex while he used a towel to dry his neck and his hair. Jack apparently caught them staring, because they could hear him laugh in their mind. It annoyed them, so they looked to Axton's face when the man spoke. "You alright? You were exhausted in the car." They watched the blond walk over to the other bed, sitting on its edge.

 

"I pushed myself too far. I am getting better." Zer0 lowered their gaze to their four fingered hand, flexing it.

 

"I'm glad to hear that. The bathroom's all yours if you want to take a shower. Or if you can take a shower. I.. don't know how you clean yourself, or your suit, but that's your business." Axton pursed his lips and looked to the window. He heard Zer0 grunt before they went into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind them.

 

In any other scenario, Zer0 would remove their suit to bathe. But knowing Jack was watching their every move, they went against changing their suit. Not until Jack was gone, and gone for good. Zer0 found themselves staring at their reflection in the dusty and cracked mirror. They stared for a long while before looking to the shower. Their suit was water proof, and covered in sand, so they would be fine if they just washed the suit in the shower. That's what they decided to do, walking to the tub and turning the warm water on. With the water raining down, Zer0 stepped into the stream and silently sighed. The sand was being washed off by the water, but some of it still stuck to their body. They saw that there wasn't any decent looking soap in the shower, so they simply used their hands to wash the rest off. Jack had gone silent, but Zer0 could tell he was thinking. Thinking of getting out of Zer0's mind alive, thinking of returning as King. Thinking of what the Hell Zer0 was. The assassin sighed and focused on getting rid of the clinging grains of sand.

 

When Zer0 finally left the bathroom, dry and clean, they spotted Axton laying on his bed staring up at the ceiling. Zer0 said nothing, walking to their own bed and laying down on it. The two sat in silence, both staring up at the ceiling now. Zer0's hand rested against their stomach, feeling the light rise and fall of their soft breathing. The sounds of the hotel had calmed down, and the city outside grew quiet besides the sounds of waves. After a moment, the assassin finally spoke. "We have to find Vaughn tomorrow morning. He may not be here forever." They heard a small grunt from Axton of confirmation. The assassin then shifted so they were lying on their side, back facing Axton. They could feel his gaze travel towards them, watching them for a moment. They heard his soft voice whisper in the night, but did not reply.

 

"Good night."

* * *

The morning that followed the night, Axton was woken abruptly by pounding on the door. He had jumped and fallen off of his bed with a loud thud and groan, his back making harsh contact with the floor. Zer0 was already up, staring at the door intently. Axton groaned, head pounding with each bang on the door. He sat up then pushed himself to stand, stumbling for a moment. "What the fuck..?" He mumbled, walking to the door with his pistol close to his hand, in its holster. He cautiously unlocked the door and opened it, narrowing his eyes when he saw nobody there. Axton looked around, and he heard somebody clear their throat. He looked to the person he'd been talking to, and he grunted. "Can I help you?" Axton asked gruffly, leaning against the doorway. From Zer0's point of view, they could not see who he was talking to. They slowly made their way to the door, peeking around Axton, and they saw somebody who they only remembered vaguely. 

 

"Um, yes. Yes, you can. My name is Vaughn, and.. my best friend is missing."

 

Well, it's one step closer.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this took forever. Thank you guys for giving me inspiration to update. <3 Love you guys!


	5. At War, At War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zer0 and Axton learn that the world has odd paths for them to take and some repeating ones. The two are, once again, the Vault Hunters of Pandora, and this time, more than just Pandora needs them. When they're visited by a mysterious being, some secrets and questions start to form, questions that only Zer0 can answer.

_"I think I remember this little skag turd..."_

 

So did Zer0. The assassin stood, staring at the rather short man who looked anxious to be there, or maybe anxious to leave? The familiar man adjusted his glasses while he sat on one of the beds, Axton sitting on the other. The silence between the three of them wasn't exactly awkward, but it wasn't exactly comfortable either. The short man could feel that stare, and he seemed to shrink even more than his original size. It was the familiar face who broke that everlasting silence with a short cough and a nervous half smile. Then he decided to speak.

 

"Hey, um. You're Nero, right? No, wait, Zer0, sorry!" The threatening stare and continued silence from the assassin made the small man uncomfortable, and he apologized quickly. "Sorry, sorry. You know, it's hard to remember people...alien...assassins when you haven't seen them in a few years!" There was an almost silent grunt from the assassin, and they looked away. They weren't much for talking, and luckily Axton was.

 

"So, you two know each other?" The blonde's eyes traveled from their Vault Hunter companion to the small and anxious man, who frantically nodded before he paused.

 

"..Well, we're more like friends-of-friends. He--She.."

 

"They," Axton corrected carefully. This earned a silent half shrug from Zer0 who was looking elsewhere.

 

" _They_ knew Rhys, and Rhys knew him--them. Rhys was.. always more fond of Zer0 more than anybody, including me--no offense, Zer0 is a cool.. a cool guy! But I think they trusted Rhys more than anybody else. Which is odd, considering they didn't know each other for that long... Did you two keep in touch or--" While he was rambling, Zer0 groaned, and so did Jack.

 

_"Will this kid ever shut up? Now I remember why I wanted him dead!"_

 

Jack was gaining competition for the most annoying voice, and this man wasn't even inside of Zer0's mind! Axton seemed concerned about this man, and he shook his head.

 

"Listen," the blonde started, leaning against his knees while he watched the short man. "As much as Zer0 and I would love to hear the story of their friendship, we're really only here because of one reason, and I think you know that reason. Your friend--Rhys, he's missing, isn't he?" The strange and small man paused before he nodded. Axton continued. "Start from there--Tell us what happened."

 

After taking a sharp breath, the short man spoke. "It's a long story, but... Long story short, it started with a Vault Key being fake and ended with a Vault. After we all stood our ground in what was basically a fucking bloodbath, we were... collecting ourselves. Celebrating. Rhys and Fiona had stepped away for, what, two seconds? The next thing you know.. They're swallowed up by a--a Vault portal, and they're gone! I don't know what was in it, I don't know where it took them, but... I just remember a flash of light, and Rhys is gone. ..And Fiona. Fiona was gone too."

 

"Vaughn." This time it was Zer0 who spoke. Both Vaughn and Axton looked to them, who had their arms crossed while they watched the two. The assassin stared for a long moment before they spoke. "Do you know what it means to hunt for a Vault?" Their gaze had seemed to freeze Vaughn in his place, and the assassin continued. "Hunting for a Vault is more than a simple treasure hunt where you celebrate for your findings. A Vault acts as a doorway--and when one Vault opens, something is sure to come out, or something is sure to be swallowed. Somebody may be swallowed by addiction, obsession--one could be swallowed by the Vault itself, taken...prisoner, in a way. The Vault is not just treasure and riches. The Vault is a way of life for the infamous Vault Hunters. Do you know what follows them?" After a long moment of silence, Zer0 tensed visibly. "Death."

 

Vaughn grew uncomfortable, swallowing anxiously while he glanced downwards. Death was always involved in Vault Hunting, one way or another. Some people failed to accept that death isn't just claiming the hundreds, thousands of bandits and creatures that you stumble upon, but also teammates and friends. Sanctuary had learned that the hard way. Axton and Zer0 both had been there, as well as Maya and Sal.

 

"Who have you lost, Vaughn?" Zer0 asked, almost in a cruel tone. Axton realized that maybe Zer0 did not lose just Roland, but he did not want to ask. The tension vibrating from Zer0's body was uncomfortable, it was bouncing off the walls and dripping off of their almost foreign tongue and form. The assassin looked elsewhere. "Do not get involved with this. Leave it to the Vault Hunters, Vaughn. You would not.. last long with a life like this." This earned them a glare from the short man, who stood.

 

"Am I supposed to not be offended by that!? I can take care of myself, do you have any idea what I've been through?"

 

"You worked for Hyperion following the death of Handsome Jack. You worked as 'the money man' while you and your friend, Rhys, had stolen a car from your new boss. You attempted in buying a Vault Key to get rich and take over Hyperion because of it, but the Vault Key turned out to be fake. You chased after the money but lost it. Then.. The Gortys Project dragged you into a new life on Pandora. Vaughn, you may be a 'leader,' but to any other Vault Hunter... You are simply a bandit camp ready for scavenging."

 

Vaughn had winced, as did Axton. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air while Zer0 slowly returned their focus to the small man. After a long moment, the assassin spoke, tilting their head in the slightest manner. "Go home, Vaughn. Rhys would not enjoy the idea of you being harmed while searching for him, or worse."

 

Vaughn had no way of replying, and he stood there with wide eyes. His hands had been clenched into fists, and he was trembling in the slightest. He did not break his stare, nor did Zer0. Taking a deep breath without saying another word, the small man turned and headed for the door. When he reached the door, his hand rested on the handle, and he looked over his shoulder. "Make sure you find my friend, you ass." With that, he opened the door and left, slamming it shut behind himself.

 

Axton looked to Zer0 with confusion in his eyes. "What the Hell was that all about? That was.. cruel, even for you, Zer0." The blond watched his companion stalk over to the window of their shared room, peering outside. A frown graced the commando's lips, and he stood up to confront the assassin about what had just happened. "Buddy, talk to me. You're not usually like this--you're never like this. I mean, come on. You're an assassin--half the time you barely talk or look over to one of us if we're down because you know somebody else will help us up! Are you distracted?"

 

Axton had no idea.

 

The assassin's head tilted upwards in the slightest, sensing something different. Zer0 turned their head to look to Axton, or so it seemed that way. The assassin instead stared behind him, and it unnerved the commando in his place. The man could sense something behind him, and before he could say something, whatever it was had spoken before him.

 

"Hello, Zer0. It has been quite some time, has it not?" The voice was new, a sneer audibly although the face was not seen. Axton turned around swiftly then took a step back, staring forward at the new being. Zer0 recognized it, while Axton did not. The being was the same one from when Athena had been caught, and when she had seen the being on the start of her adventure with Handsome Jack. Axton was startled by the sudden appearance of this creature, having not recognized it before. But its anatomy reminded him of something, he had seen that shape somewhere before. That was when he realized why it was strangely familiar; Its body shape was similar to those statues of morbid creatures guarding the Vaults around Pandora. Though they did not know the actual names, the Vault Hunters mumbled the name 'Guardians.'

 

"What are you doing here?" It was the only thing the assassin had said, but it was not entirely of curiosity. This caused the Guardian to chuckle, head swaying in a way to show that it was shaking its head. The tension in the room was almost too much to bear for the other Vault Hunter.

 

"You already know why I am here, Firstborn." The Guardian watched Zer0 twitch with the name, and it would smile if it could. Amused, the Guardian simply continued to answer the other's question, as well as Axton's unspoken one. "War is coming, you know this, as well as your other Vault Hunter friends. You also know, deep down, where this war is taking you. It's taking you home, Firstborn. No matter how long you avoid it, it will drive you back home to where you may or may not belong. You can't hide from it. The Vault is calling you back." The creature walked forward until it stood face to face with the assassin. "Such a handsome creature. You've grown up so much, haven't you? Just because you've grown does not mean you are ready for everything. You still need to learn." The Guardian raised a single finger, pressing the tip of it to Zer0's mask in a playful manner. "I'll be back to check on you. Do not get yourself into too much trouble, Brother." Leaving more questions than answers, the Guardian warped out of existence in front of their very own eyes, as if a hologram or something close to it.

 

_"What the fuck just happened?"_

 

Axton stared where the Guardian once stood, speechless. Zer0 was glad for that, they wouldn't be able to answer two people at once, especially when one is in their head. The assassin silently sighed and turned, looking at their weapons that lay on their bed. Axton's gaze was boring into the back of the assassin's head, but neither of them said anything. It was the silence that spoke the loudest, and Zer0 didn't want to answer it just yet. Not when people could listen, anyway. The walls were so thin here, and they wanted to leave. So they set their mind on that.

 

"We're leaving, grab your things."

 

"Already? Zer0, we had literally just gotten here." Axton had gotten no response to that, his blue eyes narrowing for a moment while his hands clenched into fists. "Come on, talk to me. You know I have, what, a hundred questions on my mind? You could at least answer one of them." Zer0 had picked up their katana and glanced towards the blonde. For a moment, they had gone silent, then they picked up their sniper rifle and their handgun from the bed.

 

"Not yet. When we're on the way to where Rhys and Fiona were last seen. I remember the coordinates." Even Zer0 themselves were surprised they had remembered. Axton grunted and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

 

"Why did we even come here?"

 

"You enjoy adventure, do you not? We are starting a new one. I did not want Vaughn to risk his life for his best friend. He's not fit for such a big adventure like this. Have you seen him? He does not even look much like an appetizer to a badass skag." A solid grunt and Zer0 began making their way towards the door, pausing for one small moment. "Is this not what we do for a living? Stay in one place for only a short time... Then move on to the next, where we raid and search for shady jobs to gain wealth along the way of finding the Vault?" Hearing silence, Zer0 looked forward and opened the door, stepping through the doorway. "I'll get the car." Then they were gone.

 

Axton sighed, he couldn't argue with Zer0. Especially with how terrifying they could be when angered. Swallowing his complaints and questions for the future, he grabbed his items and headed out after Zer0, closing the door behind himself.

 

True to their word, the assassin had started the car. The blonde said nothing for now while he climbed into the gunner's seat, Zer0 in the driver's. "Where to now, then?" The commando had finally broken the silence, and Zer0 glanced back to him. Their eyes had met, or at least Axton liked to think that they did.

 

"To where Rhys was last seen. We should start there. 'When one Vault door closes, another one opens,' Tannis once said. Strange woman, but it seems to be true." With that answer, Zer0 drove along the road to leave the small city, and onto the long stretch of road ahead of them. The road ran straight along a giant beach, one that shined when the hot Pandoran sun caught the surface of the scattered glass. An uncomfortable beach, surely. The ocean waves were loud but not louder than the roar of the Bandit Technical's engine. Seeing nobody in sight, Axton simply leaned back in his seat and took in the sights. There wasn't much to view, just sand, some occasional sandstone, rocks, and the water on the other side of the road. When he squinted, he was positive that he saw small dots of boats in the distance but other than that, they were alone. Alone once again.

 

A thought crossed Axton's mind, one making him purse his lips. Maya and Salvador were probably wondering where the Hell they were, and why the Hell they were there alone. Truth be told, Axton had no idea why he had even joined Zer0 on this adventure. Maybe it was because he didn't want to be completely alone. A soft gaze landed on Zer0's helmet, watching the assassin while they focused on the road. There wasn't much to avoid on the streets, but they still focused on it, alert. Remembering about yesterday's epidemic, Axton decided it would be for the best that Zer0 would stay alerted. Spiderants seemed to like sand, especially the bigger ones. While on the road, Axton was left alone with his thoughts, but Zer0's case was different.

 

 _"You Vault Hunters sure do have crazy adventures, don't you? First probably killing your own family, then your town, then the hero of this story, and now you're going on to find something else to kill. Aren't you getting tired yet?"_ Jack's voice was smooth in a way that it was taunting, yet Zer0 did their best to ignore it. But they swore they could see him in the corner of their eye, in their peripheral vision. Still, the assassin would be silent about it. The silence around them all was uncomfortable, and it was strange to take mild comfort in Jack's usually annoying voice.

 

_"Never thought I'd be on a road-trip with Bandits... Rhys was different, because, you know, he looked up to me. He was actually a human being until he... Fucking tried to kill me, a second time. That bastard deserves to be wherever he is, he locked me up in a Hell worse than the one I was going to send you all too. And when I find somebody to build me a nice body, or I take over yours, whichever comes first, I'll make sure to send you on your way there. Make sure to send me a postcard, hm?"_

 

Deciding that he was talking enough, Zer0 leaned over a bit and turned the radio on to drown out the sound of Jack's voice. Much better. The music lightened up the mood, it was a calm song for the road. It matched the lighting as well, Zer0 noticed that the stars were beginning to poke out in the blue-turning-orange sky. Axton noticed this too, his gaze upwards towards the clouds passing overhead. It wouldn't be long until it grew dark, and Zer0 would rather not drive when night falls. For now, Zer0 wanted to just drive and enjoy the more comfortable silence.

 

* * *

 

 

Embers burned like man-made stars, floating up into the dark sky to join the other stars. The fire crackled, the only thing to break the silence of the night. The campfire was moderately small, but the heat that it gave was enough to keep them warm through the cold desert night. Zer0 tossed a piece of wood into the fire, a piece of branch. The two had spotted a few trees and decided to make camp at the largest one. Apparently, the area had suffered such a harsh drought, that only sand and dead trees remained, as well as rocks. The wood was made into a fire, and the car would be their shelter and bed. Zer0 glanced over to Axton who laid on the hood of the Technical, staring up at the sky with his hands behind his head. Their gaze returned to the burning fire, adding some more small branches to the flames.

 

"How far is home, Zer0?"

 

The question was sudden. Zer0 knelt there, unsure what to do or say. Perhaps it was time to give Axton solid answers, instead of riddles? Tossing in the last stick, the assassin stood up and looked over to Axton who laid on the hood of their car. They examined the man for a moment before walking over, then laying beside him. The two stared up at the stars together, Zer0's hand resting gently against their stomach.

 

"...Home is very far from here. A place that I would rather forget. Home is a place where I don't belong, where people don't want me. Home is where my kind like to play God." Zer0 took a breath and Axton stayed silent while he listened. "Home is on a planet that suffers from crude nicknames.. Its colors are a dark purple swirling with blue, black, some silvery gray mist in the sky. From afar, it looks beautiful with its swirls of colors, it would blend in with the void of space if it weren't for the stars. The mountains are black with blue rivers rolling down, purple streams mixing with that blue. In the more 'country side,' there is a lighter shade of purple with the gentle colors of beige and golden brown. Similar to a wheat field, I suppose. The technology there is advanced, perhaps too advanced for this time and age. The cities and vehicles can fly, buildings can move with ease. There, creatures larger than the Vault Guardian have lived and still do thanks to that technology. Once again... They enjoy playing God on my home planet." They paused, staring up at the stars with intent. "..My home is called Zazen... There, the people are happy in their perfect houses, their perfect cities with their perfect jobs. But life can be too perfect. If one hair is out of place..."

 

Zer0 had paused once again, sensing the confusion coming from the commando. "You have questions. I don't want to answer them. Not yet, at least. I'm not ready. But just know that... I'm running from things, just like you, Maya, and Salvador. I am running from my past just like the three of you. But my past is finally catching up to me, it seems."

 

A sigh. Axton turned his head to watch his friend for a short moment. "...I know that it's pretty fucking shitty, but... Pandora can be your home, Zer0. Whatever you're running from up there, you can hide from it down here." A small, sincere smile showed on his lips.

 

"But for how long, Axton? I've hidden on other planets with little to no luck."

 

"As long as it takes. As long as I can help you protect yourself against whatever they throw at you."

 

Their attention returned to the stars, witnessing some speeding across the sky. The crackling of the fire was now the only thing interrupting the silence between the two, but only for a short bundle of moments. Zer0 broke the silence, their voice quiet.

 

"Thank you, Axton."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I.. honestly didn't expect people to love this so much. ;w;  
> I thought that the Borderlands fandom had, well, moved on.  
> Thank you all for your comments, they mean a lot to me! I wouldn't have updated without you guys!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my first story on AO3, hopefully this one will last, unlike my others on different websites.
> 
> I don't own any of the characters except for my OC.


End file.
